Cutting or shaping an article, such as hard disk media, implements mechanical scribing of a substrate. The substrate may include glass or quartz, wherein the scribing causes micro-fractures to form. A tapping step is then employed to separate the article from the substrate. However, the tapping step creates micro-shock waves which further fracture and splinter the article. Accordingly, additional steps are implemented to fix damage to the article, thereby increasing the overall time and cost of production.